Razer laptops are branded as the “MacBooks in the gaming community” given how they’re designed and the feeling they give is premium. The thing is, do Razer laptops only look good on the surface?
So are Razer laptops bad? What are the reasons why Razer laptops are good or bad? What are the common problems encountered with Razer laptops that make them bad from the user’s perspective?
Reasons Why Razer Laptops Are Good Or Bad
Razer laptops are good due to their premium build quality, great performance, and long battery life. On the other hand, Razer laptops are bad due to bloating batteries, using Intel processors instead of AMD, the Synapse software can be an issue, and the price tag is too much.
The reasons we’ve mentioned above don’t take up the entirety of what makes Razer laptops both good and bad. We have more reasons to mention, but before that, we’d like to state that Razer laptops have both good and bad qualities to them.
So what are the reasons why Razer laptops are good?
- They’re good because they have a superb build quality that not only looks sleek but feels premium on the hand.
- They offer beastly performance and live up to being one of the best gaming laptops in the market. Razer laptops make use of great specs such as a GTX 30 Series GPU and an Intel Core i9 processor.
- They utilize a superb cooling system that’s able to keep temperatures warm. Unlike other brands, Razer laptops can dissipate heat efficiently and prevent things from becoming scorching hot.
This is especially true when users share what they’ve experienced with their Razer laptops not being too hot around the areas of the keyboard even as they game or use demanding software.
- The majority of the materials that make up a Razer laptop are made out of aluminum and this gives a sturdy feel to the laptop and can contribute to dissipating heat more efficiently.
- The fans on Razer laptops run quietly so this is a plus that users like. Noisy fans are downright obnoxious, especially when gaming.
- Razer laptops have massive trackpads and this gives a lot more room for users to move their fingers on.
- Contrary to some reviews regarding battery life, Razer laptops are more than capable of running for seven to eight hours of use. Of course, this would highly depend on usage. When gaming, the laptop can last for five hours on average and this is pretty decent for a gaming laptop.
Now that we’re done with the pros of Razer laptops, let’s move on to the bad. What are the reasons why Razer laptops are bad?
- They’re one of the priciest gaming laptops in the market. Some argue that you can get a gaming laptop that offers the same kind of specs, or maybe even better, than what Razer has to offer at half the price. A perfect example would be gaming laptops from Acer or Asus.
- Swollen batteries have become Razer’s worst nightmare since this has been the main concern for a lot of users who’ve used or have been using Razer laptops. This problem doesn’t solely concern Razer since a swollen battery would most likely be caused on the user’s end.
- A lot of users often experience crashes when it comes to the Synapse software and this has earned Razer laptops a bad rep.
- While this isn’t necessarily bad, some users find it odd that Razer still uses Intel processors instead of a more “gaming-inclined processor” like AMD. Due to this, some users prefer other laptop brands such as Asus since they make use of AMD processors.
Overall, Razer laptops are far from being perfect. They may be praised for being the MacBook of the gaming community (in regards to laptops) but they also have a few downsides to them as well.
If there would be a key takeaway from this portion of the article, it would be the misinterpretation that most users have when it comes to the swollen batteries that Razer laptops are commonly known for.
There are multiple causes for a Razer laptop to get swollen batteries and the majority of it would happen on the user’s end. For instance, overcharging the battery, exposing the battery to certain temperatures, and over-discharging the battery can lead to swollen batteries.
So when users get frustrated due to swollen batteries, they shouldn’t be too hard on Razer and pin the blame on them. We’re not being biased or anything, it’s just that there are users who shared their own experiences as well and they didn’t have any problems with their Razer laptop’s batteries, let alone having them swollen over time.
What Do Customer Reviews Say About Razer Laptops?
The majority of customer reviews say that Razer laptops are bad due to several issues such as batteries getting swollen and the hinges coming off after some time. Let’s not forget that there are positive customer reviews as well and they praise the build quality, superb performance, and sharp display of Razer laptops.
The Bad
We can’t deny the fact that negative customer reviews will always be present in every blog and online forum, and let’s face it, it’s understandable since people would want others to know how their experience went with their Razer laptops.
It’s safe to say that the majority of these people (who spread negative customer reviews) have good intentions which are to warn others from possibly wasting their money on a laptop filled with issues.
Speaking of issues, we’ll be mentioning a few that always seem to be a common issue amongst Razer laptop owners. Such issues are:
- Batteries getting swollen over time
- Battery draining fast
- Faulty motherboards
- Synapse software acting up (crashing would be a common problem for others)
- Hinges breaking off over time
- Razer laptops make use of Intel Core processors
Now, as aforementioned, these problems would only occur if the user fails to do proper maintenance and care for their Razer laptops. Those who were careful with their Razer laptops were able to enjoy the capabilities of the laptop to its full extent for four years and more.
As for Razer laptops using Intel processors, it’s subjective per user. Some don’t mind that these laptops are using Intel processors while others claim that not having AMD processors in Razer laptops would be a deal-breaker.
People argue that with the current price points of Razer laptops, it would be well worth the money if the processors were AMD instead of Intel.
The Good
On the flip side, there are positive customer reviews on Razer laptops. The majority of users love the build quality of Razer laptops since it looks and feels like a MacBook, and we all know what kind of feeling these laptops give when held. In short, they look and feel amazing, the thin aluminum body of the laptop seems to capture the hearts of many users.
Other users are so satisfied with their Razer laptops to the point that they have ditched their non-Razer laptops. For instance, this one user stated that they never want to go back to their MacBook since their Razer laptop performed excellently in terms of gaming which is then paired with a 4k display, now that’s hard to beat.
Another positive customer review would be geared towards the cooling system and fans of Razer laptops. People love to leave positive feedback on the cooling systems these laptops use because they’ve observed that their laptops don’t get scorching hot as they game on it or as they run demanding software.
The hottest level their laptops could get would be warm and that’s about it. The fans also cool down the internal components of the laptop in a quiet manner so that’s a plus (although fans can get noisy from time to time, nothing too serious).
Common Problems With Razer Laptops
Bloating batteries, hinges coming off, Synapse software crashing or acting up, and coil whine would be the common problems with Razer laptops.
The issues we’ve mentioned above would be the top three problems that users encounter with their Razer laptops, of course, this doesn’t apply to every single person that owns a Razer laptop. Ultimately, these problems can be avoided if users were to be consistent with proper maintenance and handling.
You’re probably wondering, “what’s the solution to these problems?”. You’re in luck because these problems all have solutions to them and there’s a possibility that you’ll resolve these issues thanks to these solutions.
According to Razer’s official website, bloating batteries is caused by the generation of gasses through a process called electrolyte decomposition, the process is triggered by the following scenarios:
- Exposure to temperatures
- Over-discharging the battery
- Overcharging the battery
Luckily, the batteries used in Razer laptops have safeguards that would prevent damage should this process occur, however, the safeguards won’t stop the battery from swelling. Once the battery is swollen, you mustn’t use or charge the battery anymore and dispose of it properly.
As for the hinges coming off, there’s no other solution for this but to be careful with the laptop. You’ll be lucky if your laptop is still under warranty, however, if your warranty period is over you’d want to take better care of your laptop.
You may also choose to avail of their RazerCare plan to extend the warranty period of your laptop, in a way that would give you peace of mind when your laptop sustains any damage.
The last common problem of Razer laptops would be coil whine. Coil whine is this unpleasant loud noise that comes from the motherboard and this occurs when the laptop is in use. The fastest and easiest solution to this would be updating BIOS and the firmware.
Make sure to read updates regularly as you may stumble on the updates specifically stating that it’ll be addressing certain issues on your Razer laptop. This exact scenario happened to one user wherein they encountered this loud whistling noise coming from the motherboard.
After doing the necessary updates, the coil whine disappeared altogether and never recurred. The user further states that the update itself indicated that the coil whine issue on the motherboard will be addressed and that solves the issue.
Are Razer Laptops Worth Buying?
Yes, Razer laptops are worth buying. If you can afford the hefty price of these laptops then it’s well worth the money. Razer laptops are fantastic in terms of build quality and they offer superb performance which is able to support demanding software and games.
Again, Razer laptops are worth buying if people have the budget for it, if not, then there are a ton of other alternatives in the market that come at a cheaper price tag. Is the price tag justifiable for Razer laptops? The answer is purely subjective.
Razer laptops are priced this way since people are also paying for the brand name itself, and knowing Razer, they’re definitely an established brand already and have been in the market for years now, so it’s only natural for them to price their laptops this way.
While Razer laptops may provide beastly performance and great build quality, it may not be worth it for some people.
For instance, Razer laptops may not be worth it for people who want to customize and upgrade their components constantly (including the GPU and CPU which isn’t upgradeable in Razer laptops), people who prefer AMD processors over Intel processors, and people who are on a tight budget.
Razer Laptops Alternative
The Asus Zephyrus G15, Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 would be the best alternative for Razer laptops.
The three laptops we’ve mentioned are great alternatives for Razer laptops since these run on AMD processors and we all know that there are users who would prefer AMD over Intel. Moreover, these laptops run on powerful specs such as GeForce 30 series and 32GB of RAM.
While these may not be cheap alternatives to Razer laptops, they’re still considered to be some of the best alternatives if we’re primarily focusing on the processor being used.
Out of the three Razer laptop alternatives, the best out of the bunch would be the Asus Zephyrus G15. This laptop runs on an AMD Ryzen 9, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 32GB RAM, 1TB storage, and a 15.5-inch, 1440p;165Hz display.
Coming at $2,499, this monstrous laptop is able to provide superb performance while maintaining a great battery life of eight hours. So for those who don’t want to risk getting below average battery life that Razer laptops are infamous for (as per numerous reviews online), the Asus Zephyrus G15 is a great option.
You can check out each Razer laptop alternative here:
- Asus Zephyrus G15
- Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
- Asus ROG Strix Scar 17
Resources:
https://www.windowscentral.com/best-razer-blade-15-alternatives
https://www.laptopmag.com/best-picks/amd-ryzen-laptops
Susan is a professional writer. She has been a writer for eight years and has always been so fulfilled with her work! She desires to share helpful, reliable, and unbiased information and tips about tech and gadgets. She hopes to offer informative content that can answer users’ questions and help them fix their problems.
